Ditching-machine



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No. 416,934. Patten ted Dec, 10, 1889.

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A. J. MEALS.

DITGHING MACHINE. 7 No. 416,934. Patented Dec. 10,1889.

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A. J. MEALS. DITGHING' MAGHINE.

No. 416,934. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

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ANDREW J. MEALS, OF ONEILL,NEBRASKA.

D ITCHING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,934, dated December 10, 1889.

Application filed March 22, 1889. Serial No. 304,367. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. MEALS, a citizen of the United States, residing at ONeill, in the county of Holt and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grading and Ditching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in grading and ditching machines, and has for its object to provide a machine of the class specified by means of which earth may be plowed up and conveyed to a point removed from the plow and there deposited, such machine being made adjustable, whereby the frame may be lengthened or shortened to regulate the distance from the plow that the soil is to be deposited.

A further object is to produce a grading and ditching machine which shall be of simple construction and effective in operation.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construc tion and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and

pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig- 3 is an elevation from the right-hand side of the machine. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the driving-gearing on the line 00 m of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of part of the machine from the left, showing the plow and manner in which the same is constructed and attached to the frame. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 5, with parts removed, showing the manner in which the land-wheel is attached to the same for the purpose of raising and lowering the plow when in use or transportation. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of onehalf of one of the clamping-blocks.

The main supporting-frame of the machine is composed of two parallel side sect-ions J, connected at their forward ends by a bar 1, and at their rear ends provided with a bifurcated bracket 2, in which latter a wheel 3 is mounted. A box I is carried between the side sections J, and supports a caster-frame H, in which is mounted the main drivingwheel B. The axle 4 of this wheel is extended somewhat beyond its bearings at each end and provided with sprocket -wheels at. Mounted in .the caster-frame H and extending laterally beyond the same at each end is a shaft 6, carrying sprocket-wheels c c',which receive motion from the wheels at through i the medium of a drive-chain b, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. Within the casterframe H the shaft 6 has secured to ita bevelpinion N, adapted to mesh with a similar pinion N, secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 5, which latter is mounted in the upper portion of the caster-frame. The shaft 5 has a bevel-pinion M, secured at or near its upper end, adapted to mesh with a bevel-pinion M carried on a horizontal shaft 7. This shaft is mounted in a box 9, secured to the frame of the machine, and carries asprocket-wheel c, for a purpose which will presently appear.

An elevator-frame G is supported upon the main fram sand is preferably composed of telescoping pipes held together at any desired adjustment by means of clamping-blocks g. These blocks 9 are made in two parts, the innor face of each part being provided with grooves 10, one half of each groove being of a size sufficient to receive the larger pipe of the elevator-frame and the other half of each groove being of a size to accommodate the smaller telescoping pipe. By preference the elevator-frame will be composed of four telescoping sections, two at each side, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,- and consequently each half of the clamping-blocks-will be provided with two grooves of the character above described. In Fig. 1 the interior pipe isshown in dotted lines. Each half of the clamping-blocks will be provided with a series of perforated lugs for the accommodation of bolts, by means of which the sections of the frame are clamped in the clamping-blocks.

J ournaled at the upper end of the elevator-frame is a shaft 8, which projects at one end laterally from said frame and is provided on such laterally-projecting ends with a sprocket-wheel c, which latter receives motion from the sprocket-wheel 0 through the medium of a sprocket-chain d. A series of rollers h, Fig. 1, are journaled in the elevator-frame and serve to support an endless flexible conveyor-platform E. Parallel standards 11 are secured to the frame and provided at their upper ends with a horizontal shaft 0,

' extending from one of said standards to the elevator-frame may be raised and lowered,

and the inclination of said frame thereby changes at will.

In order to brace the structure of the machine, the upper ends of the standards 11 will preferably be connected with the. lower ends of the elevator frame by means of bracerods 13.

A horizontal frame F is supported at one end by the main frame of the machine and at the other end by an upright 12, secured at one end to said frame and at the other end to the elevator-frame, said frame F being pro vided at its free end with a semicircular plate 4, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The frame F is composed of telescoping pipes substantially the same as the elevator-frame Gr, the sections being held together by means of clamping-blocks j, which are substantially identical in construction with the clamping blocks g.

Located at the lower end of the elevatorframe G, and at right angles thereto, is a plow A. The beam T of this plow is curved over the same and made with a forked or bifurcated forward end, thus producing two arms 13. Between these arms a'land wheel m is mounted, and loosely connected to the axle of this wheel, at opposite sides of the same, is a forked lever 7c, pivoted to arms 13', and havinglatches 14:. Secured to the arms 13 of the beam are toothed sectors 7, with which the latches 14, respectively, of the lever 7a are adapted to engage. By this means the land-wheel on may be raised or lowered at will, thereby raising the plow A out of ,or lowering it into the ground.

A bracket 15 is secured to and projects rearwardly from the plow-beam T, and serves to support a bracket 16, in which latter a wheel 17 is mounted, which latter is adapted to produce a rear support for the beam T and plow secured thereto. Secured to the beam T, directly over the plow, is an upwardlyprojecting bracket 18, provided at its upper end with a hollow boss 3, and through this boss the curved plate 4 of the horizontal frame F passes, thereby maintaining the plow always in an upright position.

Projecting at right angles from the plowA is a perforated ear IV, and secured to the lower end of the elevator-frame is aperforated plate a which projects toward the ear 1V: so that its perforation will be in line with the perforation in said car. A pin 19 is passed through the perforation of the ear IV and plate a", and thus the plow is pivotally connected to the elevatorframe.

In order to secure the proper delivery of the dirt to the elevator and prevent it from slipping back into the furrow, a shield S,-of sheet-steel or other suitable metal, is provided and made to conform to the curvature of the mold-board of the plow.

A standing colter R is secured to the beam T and extends downwardly in proximity to the point of the plow. Perforated plates 20 are secured to the free ends of the arms 13 of beam T, to which plates a perforated clevis-plate 21 is adj ustably secured.

Another perforated clevis-plate L is at tached to the bar 1 and projects downwardly therefrom. An equalizing-bar K is'secured to the lower end of the clevis L and connected at its ends with the axle of the wheel B by means of chains or otherwise. A team being now hitched to each clevis 21 and L and the machine started, the ground will be plowed up, delivered upon the elevator-platform, and thereby conveyed to a wagon or other place.

Slight changes might be made in the constructive details of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope; hence I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details of construction herein set forth; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with suitable frame-work, of an elevator mounted on the same, a laterally-extending horizontal frame carried by said frame-work, a plow-beam connected to the end of said laterally-extending horizontal frame, and a plow carried by the beam and connected to the elevator-frame, substantially as set forth.

. 2. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with suitable frame-work, of an elevator mounted thereon, a horizontal extensible frame carried by said frame-work, a plow beam connected to the horizontal frame, and a plow carried by the beam and pivotally connected with the elevator-frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with suitable frame work, of an elevator mounted thereon, a horizontal frame carried by said framework, clamping-blocks for holding the extensible frame at any desired adjustment, a plow-beam connected with the extensible frame, and a plow carried by the beam and pivotally connected with the elevator-frame, substantially as set forth.

4. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with suitable framework, of an elevator eX- tending across said frame-work at right angles to the draft of the machine, a plow-beam carried by said frame, a plow carried by said beam, a bracket on the elevator-frame to which the plow is pivoted, a segmental guidebar carried by said frame, and a guide engaged by said plate for holding the plow in proper position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a ditching-machine,

IIO

of a plow-beam carrying a plow at one end and forked at the other end, a wheel mounted in said forked end, and a wheel carried by a bracket secured to the rear portion of the beam, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a ditching-machine, of a forked plow-beam, a wheel carried in the forked end of the beam, toothed sectors secured to the beam, and a forked lever carrying latches for engaging said sectors, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a ditching-machine, of a forked plow-beam connected therewith and carrying a plow, a Wheel carried in the forked end of the beam, means for raisingand lowering said wheel, and a clevis adjustably secured to the forked end of the beam, substantially as set forth.

8. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with the main frame, of an elevator mounted thereon, a plow at the lower end of the elevator and at right angles thereto, a casterframe supporting the main frame, and gearing carried by said caster-frame and connecting the driving-wheel and elevator, substantially as set forth.

9. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with a main frame and a plow, of an elevatorframe supported thereby and made up of ex- ANDREW J. MEALS. Witnesses:

FRANK J. TOOHILL, OWEN F. BIGLIN. 

